About The Novel

Raves & Praise

"Beautifully detailed and rich in exceptional characterization ... Curran's novel gently reminds readers that fantasy has a place in everyone's life, and dreams can come true. Uniquely uplifting and never didactic, this is a gem." -BOOKLIST, starred review

"With a masterful wit and clever twists, Sheila Curran has created an intricately woven mystery. Captivating, fast-paced, no-holds-barred storytelling, DIANA LIVELY IS FALLING DOWN defies pigeon-holing. Wrestling the complexities of motherhood, loss and betrayal, politics, the environment, and theme parks, it is at once intimate, domestic, and worldly. A debut to celebrate!" -Julianna Baggott, GIRLTALK, THE MISS AMERICA FAMILY, THE MADAM

"Brilliant, touching, and funny as hell, Diana Lively packs a powerful punch. A poignant and biting satire of contemporary family life, American business, ivory-tower academics, and trans-Atlantic cultural differences, this spirited romp through an Englishwoman's Arizona deserves a unique place of honor on any bookshelf. Diana is one of those stories that can linger forever in one's own memory and imagination, as a reference point for every new book that comes along, or even more, for life itself. Wry, engaging, and wise beyond words, Diana is bound to delight and amaze." -Carlos Eire, 2003 National Book Award winner, WAITING FOR SNOW IN HAVANA

"DIANA LIVELY IS FALLING DOWN is a terrific pick-me-up. You couldn't find two more disparate landscapes than Oxford, England and Arizona, and that's exactly what one British woman discovers when she crosses the pond to find herself a fish-out-of-water -- only to realize that for the first time in her life, this means she can stand on her own two feet. Filled with characters who make you laugh out loud even as they break your heart, this is a funny, warm, inventive, original book."
-Jodi Picoult, NYT bestselling author of VANISHING ACTS and MY SISTER'S KEEPER

Traffic

Come on now, admit it. This one just makes you want to read it and you've not even read the premise of this new book by the author of best-selling books SEE JANE DATE and LOVE YOU TO DEATH. The Joy referred to here is a sister the protagonist never knew she had, the product of her father's affair, a secret he's kept until his deathbed, when he finally asks his daughter Rebecca to go track down her half-sister in a small town in Maine.

Praise:

"The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate opened my heart, made me laugh, cry, and smile all at the same time. A don't-miss read!" –New York Times bestselling authorCarly Phillips

"The Secret of Joy is a warm hug of a book. Insightful, wise, and romantic, it's as inviting as the small-town life it depicts."–Claire LaZebnik

"A wonderfully heartfelt story about hope, possibilities and the yearning for real connections. Senate's latest will take you on a much needed vacation, while sneaking vital life lessons in when you're not looking."–Caprice Crane

.Here's my interview with Melissa whose newest book THE SECRET OF JOY you can order at Amazon.

1.If I had to offer two bumper sticker explanations for my novel, they’d be “Appearances are deceiving” and “Mean people suck.”Tell me what your slogans would be, and why:

A: “Live and let live” and “Be Kind.” Two more self-explanatory slogans there never were!

2.Your two favorite movies over the past twelve months and why?

I loved “Julie & Julia” because of the acting and the cooking and because it showed such loving, supportive marriages with great men, great husbands. Seriously, it almost made this cynical divorcee want to get married again. The other ten movies I’ve seen this year were for seven-year-olds. I’ve seen everything from “Up “to “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs” to “Coraline.” I take my son to every kid movie on opening day, a tradition in our little house of two.

2.What was the one thing you learned in getting your book published that you were really surprised to find out?

A: That you need alligator skin. Seriously.

4.If you had to pick one and only one condition (beyond computer or pen and paper) that would allow you to write would it be: a. solitudeb. caffienec.sleepd. foode.sexor f.______.

A: Solitude, hands down.

Do you have a favorite genre?If so, who are your three favorite writers? If not, who are your three favorite writers and how have they influenced your work?

A: My three favorite authors are Anne Tyler, Elinor Lipman, and Maeve Binchy. I’m also getting enamored with Elizabeth Berg. I love, love, love, all the contemporary women’s fiction being published these days. All these interesting, thoughtful novels about the female experience. The covers are irresistible to me.

Last night I watched a very cheesy moving on Lifetime about a husband poisoning his wife, a sort of modern Gaslight. I kept telling myself to change the channel but I couldn't. Why, I kept asking myself, are women drawn to stories in which the villian is not a boogey-man from without, but an imposter-lover/husband/best friend? Think of The Shining. "Here's Johnny!" And of course, this week at Fort Hood, the gunfire came from inside the military, but it sure as hell wasn't 'friendly' fire. (As an aside, the shooter apparently chose psychiatry because he fainted while observing childbirth. This confirmed my image of the man as a complete coward and other-blamer, maybe even a mother-blamer.)

Speaking of covers, doesn't this one make you want to crawl under the covers and dream of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's?

If that's not enough,here are some kudos:

Praise:

Currently in development as a TV series by the executive producer of Crash!

"With a complicated, sympathetic protagonist, worthy stakes and a clever twist on the standard chick lit narrative, Brody will pull readers in from the first page."

– Publisher’s Weekly

"Those who enjoyed Brody's debut will be eager to catch up with Jennifer, but newcomers will be intrigued, too...an honest, witty portrayal of modern love."

- Booklist

“With her usual smart, deft, and witty prose, Brody delves deep into the psychology of a woman who tests the fidelity of strangers for a living but struggles with commitment in her own life."

-Joanne Rendell, author of Crossing Washington Square and The Professors’ Wives’ Club

If you'd like to watch a movie trailer, here's my first attempt to embed code, which may or may not work, but isn't if fun to be part of an experiment?

And here is our interview:

1.If I had to offer two bumper sticker explanations for my novel, they’d be “Appearances are deceiving” and “Mean people suck.”Tell me what your slogans would be, and why.

Trust is a two way street.

Jennifer Hunter has spent her entire life distrusting men. And now that she’s finally found one that she really thinks she can trust, she comes to realize that it’s herself she needs to be suspicious of.

2.Your two favorite movies over the past twelve months and why?

I don’t know if I’ve even seen two movies over the past twelve months! How sad is that? I rarely get time to go to the movies. And I much prefer TV. Due to my short attention span and constant need for food breaks. So I’ll say, my two new favorite TV shows on the air this season: The Vampire Diaries and Modern Family. The Vampire Diaries is a total guilty pleasure but it makes the wait until the next Twilight movie easier to bare. And Modern Family is just brilliant TV.

3. What was the one thing you learned in getting your book published that you were really surprised to find out?

How much waiting goes into this career. Sometimes it feels like all I ever do is wait. I try to keep as busy as possible so by the time things do start happening, I’m already onto a new project. That way, my response is less, “Finally!” and more, “Oh, right. I forgot all about that.” It keeps me sane.

4. If you had to pick one and only one condition (beyond computer or pen and paper) that would allow you to write would it be: a. solitudeb. caffeinec.sleepd. foode.sexor f.______.

I’ll have to go with C. Sleep. You don’t want to know me if I haven’t gotten my requisite 8 hours.

5.Do you have a favorite genre?If so, who are your three favorite writers? If not, who are your three favorite writers and how have they influenced your work?

Helen Fielding is the reason I’m writing today. When I read Bridget Jones’ Diary back in college, my life changed. It was the first book I’d read for “pleasure” (rather than for a school assignment) in a long time and I’d forgotten how entertaining and fun books could be. I knew right then and there that I wanted to write to entertain people. Just as Helen Fielding had entertained me.

I’ve also been heavily influenced by Sophie Kinsella for her charm, wit and humorous story telling style and Jodi Picoult for her depth of soul and realism.